Raising a family, teaching language and exploring the world one country at a time.

July 5, 2015March 11, 2017

Art in Mexico City – Day 7

On Saturday, I got up early to meet my fellow students at school for a day in Mexico City. This is the exursion I had been looking forward to all year. I recently took a graduate class on the life and passion of the artist, Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo was an artist, but is more famous for being the eccentric on-again/off-again wife of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. The lives of Diego and Frida are well-known throughout Mexico and the world. Their art is absolutely stunning. Their homes are now museums in Mexico City. In addition, there is a home in Mexico City that was owned by Dolores Olmedo which is now a museum that houses the largest collection of Rivera and Kahlo art in the world. The art and gardens of the Museo Dolores Olmedo are absolutely beautiful. There are peacocks wandering the grounds while people stroll through the cobbled sidewalks. Dolores was also the owner of several hairless dogs named by the Aztecs and known around the world as xoloitzcuintles. We were able to observe a garden full of these cute dogs today. See if you can tell which ones are real and which ones are statues. For my daughters Molly and Megan…these pics are for you!

We also spent several hours in San Ángel at the Bazaar Sábado which was incredible. I decided that this will be my first stop with Brian next Saturday when he arrives in Mexico City. Just what he wants, an afternoon of shopping for arts and crafts!

1. Museo Dolores Olmedo

2. El Bazaar Sábado

3. Diego and Frida’s home in San Ángel

4. La Casa Azul – Frida’s home and studio

5. The dogs at my house – Suki and Kiko

We left at 8:30am and arrived back in Cuernavaca at about 7:30pm. Food today was sparse. We had our usual scrambled eggs, toast and fruit before we left for school. Keep in mind that we walk one mile up and down stone streets each way to get to school each morning and afternoon. My HM and I got a turkey sandwich from our host mom and I packed some trailmix, a banana, an apple and some bottled water for our 11 hour trip. On these excusions, we never know when food will be available or if it will be safe to eat. Since we miss the biggest meal of the day in our host home when we go on these trips, we don’t know what to expect when we get home at night. We asked our host mom for something when we got home. She quickly warmed up part of a chicken breast with some spaghetti a la carbonara for us. It wasn’t my favorite meal, but I was starving and would have eaten anything at that point! I can’t wait to be in Mexico City with Brian where I can have a bit more control over what and when I eat. I miss my desserts (not that I have them that often, but when they aren’t available, it’s the only thing I want). I also miss my salads. Heck, I actually miss cooking in my kitchen! I do have to say that the Mexican diet has been positive in the sense that I have very little access to processed foods. Most everything that I’m eating here is natural. In my host kitchen, there are very few packages of anything. It’s mostly fruit, bread, tortillas, meat, cheese, eggs, butter, beans and salsa. Meals here require preparation. Cooking eggs for breakfast every day takes more time than pouring a bowl of sugary cereal.

On Sunday, I’m going to try and sleep late. For me, that means 6am. I’m going to do some writing and then I plan to walk to the city center (2.2 miles) to attend mass at the cathedral. After that, I’m planning to meet my friends for more shopping and comida at a local restaurant. I have some homework to do and would love to FaceTime with my family later today. We didn’t talk yesterday :(.